


The lack of imagination

by what_is_life_about



Category: Star Trek: Deep Space Nine
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-22
Updated: 2020-09-22
Packaged: 2021-03-07 19:07:47
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,043
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26602693
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/what_is_life_about/pseuds/what_is_life_about
Summary: Being a liar was never easy. While questioning his way of living Garak recognized something in his life had changed. Something that could change his way of living as well.
Relationships: Julian Bashir & Elim Garak
Kudos: 4





	The lack of imagination

**Author's Note:**

> Maybe after "The Wire". Who knows.  
>    
> Today's inspiration:
> 
> “Reality is merely an illusion, albeit a very persistent one.“  
> \- Albert Einstein
> 
> &
> 
> "The truth is usually just an excuse for a lack of imagination." - Garak 
> 
> Enjoy reading!

_People think it's easy to be a liar. I think it's the most difficult way of life you can choose._

The man who had tried to explain this mystery hadn't been aware of the fact that he had told the truth. For the first time in many years of inventing lies this man had been able to say what his reality looked like.

Garak had never been really grateful for this worldly wisdom. The man wasn't even sure if it was a wise saying or just the philosophy of a madman. If it was the philosophy of a madman, he would have to be kind of mad himself. He had been acting according to this philosophy for so many years, it just started to feel right at some point in his life.

That had been one cause why he was so surprised by his own thoughts. When he had started to question his own way of living, Garak had started to think about the cause for this change of heart. He had been thinking about this for many sleepless nights and many more restless days until his mind gave him the answer his heart had already known.

It was difficult to live as a liar, but as long as you stayed away from relationships, it was a way of living with very positive effects. As long as you didn't get involved in any social groups or tried to stay at a place for too long, you wouldn't get any problems. Maybe your conscience would sometimes tell you about the fact that lying wasn't an appropriate or socially accepted lifestyle, but Garak did never even thought about caring. Not until he started to live on this space station.

The man had met fascinating people, although he wouldn't tell them how unique they all seemed. Growing up in a society where nearly everyone tried to be as conventional as possible to not become a target of the secret service, Garak had been fairly surprised by the different characters.  
Commander Sisko, a man with an interesting sense of sarcasm and a Commander who was not afraid to break the rules if necessary. Mayor Kira Nerys, the passionate resistance fighter with kind of aggression problems. Chief engineer Miles O'Brien, the man with strong moral values and a loyal heart. Quark, the Ferengi who had always wanted to seem crueler and greedier than he was. Jadzia Dax, the adventurous woman with a deep, warm personality. Odo, the organized and disciplined man who had never really fit in.

But Garak wasn't questioning his whole way of living because of some strangers. They became kind of a community over the months of working and living together, but they didn't affect the man's life that much. There was another member of the crew, a young men with an absolutely fascinating mind and a deep soul you weren't able to see when meeting him the first time. Julian Bashir was a intriguing man and a human being Garak wasn't able to leave anymore.

His questions, his view of reality was an inspiration for Garak's mind, but for his heart as well. His heart asked for the justification for all the lies he had told. His mind answered that all of these lies had been necessary to survive, but his heart recognized another lie in this assurance. Garak realized he really didn't know the answer to his question. What had made him a liar?

One afternoon and so many hours later Garak found the answer. He stopped arguing with Doctor Bashir, looked into the bright eyes of the man and began to smile slightly. 

His society was and had probably always been an organization of liars. Their children grew up being taught that telling the truth would kill them in their life. The moment would come when telling the truth would be a dangerous decision.

And after thinking about his society, Garak's mind recapped his role in this game of a lying society. The man had always adapted to his social environment and his difficult life. He didn't even try to be different, because he hadn't known what that meant. Nobody had taught him that you could decide whether to be a liar or to be honest.

But this new life had taught Garak that he could be different, this human beings showed him with their way of life that being different wasn't a mistake. Sometimes it was a destiny and sometimes, yes, sometimes, it was a decision.

"What are you smiling at, Garak?" Julian tried to find out what amused his friend and looked around on the Promenade. Finding the normal busy atmosphere without any variation the man tried to find something unusual at himself. "Have I said something stupid? I swear, I haven't really slept last night and I'm just really tired. That's why I'm not able to focus on our …"

„I haven't ever told you how much I appreciate our meetings, have I, Doctor?"

Julian couldn't suppress a grateful smile while skating his head. "No, you haven't, Garak. But I'm glad you feel able to tell me the truth about this one matter. At least."

"I've told you so many variations of the truth, Doctor, I'm always surprised when I realize that's not enough for you," Garak answered. "But I could try to tell you the common truth more often. If you want to."

"I'll already be glad if you try", Julian responded. "Thank you, Garak. I enjoy your company as well. You should know that."

"I know, Doctor", Garak nodded while answering softly. "I know."

Garak watched his friend leaving, going back to work and his life. He watched the brilliant, enthusiastic man with the visionary mind leaving the room, but not his life. And Garak felt grateful for the first time in many years.

"And maybe there's hope for both of us, Doctor," the man told himself before leaving as well.

Garak knew that he wouldn't be able to tell the truth, even after or especially after all these years he had stayed a liar. But maybe, just maybe, he would be able to tell the truth at special occasions like today. Maybe there was just one person on this station Garak would be able to trust.

Someday.

**Author's Note:**

> I've been and I probably still am a notorious liar and I won't ever be able to completely overcome this mental illness, so I've always been fascinated by the fact that people seem to decide to lie everyday in their life. 
> 
> I'm grateful for every feedback!


End file.
